Graz: Guide

Graz is the capital of Styria (Steiermark) and the 2nd largest city of Austria.

Understand

Graz is the second-largest city in Austria, with a population of around 280,000. Some 40,000 of this population is made up of students, as Graz is home to no less than six universities (four "standard" universities and two dedicated solely to applied sciences), and is associated with names as illustrious as Johannes Kepler, Erwin Schrödinger and Nikola Tesla.
The roots of Graz can be traced back to the times of the Romans. They were the first who built a small fort where city centre is today. Later, Slovenians built a heavy fortress where the city center is today. The Slovenian name of the castle is Gradec, which means castle. The name Graz is derived from this name. Graz was first mentioned with its German name in 1128 when dukes of Babenberg turned the place into a commercial centre. During 15th century Graz became the capital of inner Austria (refering to Styria,Carinthia and Carniola) under the rule of the Habsburgs.
As stated above, Graz has a rich history in education expressed by the number of universities in the city. The first university was founded in 1585 (Karl-Franzens-Universität).
Due to its importance as a strategic position, Graz was often assaulted by Ottoman Turks in the 16th century. The fortress located on the Schlossberg (the picture to the right shows the clock tower, which is located on top of the hill) never fell to the Turks. (the only place in this region).
During WWII Graz was part of Nazi Germany. By the end of the war Graz surrendered to Soviet troops. Fortunately the historic old town was not seriously hit during allied bombing raids on the city .
In 2003 Graz was the Cultural Capital of Europe.

Graz is also known for the Steyr-Daimler-Puch automobile and truck manufacturing plant located there.

It is also the birthplace (in nearby Thal) of actor and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Its UPC-Arena was renamed in Schwarzenegger's honor in 1997, but was renamed again in 2005 following controversy over the governor's support of California's death penalty.

Phone: The local area code is (0)316. The country code for Austria is +43.

Get in

By plane

Graz airport (), , less than 6 miles south of the city center.

Scheduled flights operate to Graz from Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Munich, Stuttgart, Vienna, Linz, Innsbruck, Zurich, London, Hannover, Gothenburg, Friedrichshafen.

Getting to the City is easy and inexpensive. The train station is located 300 meters from the passenger terminal. Trains leave to Graz Hauptbahnhof (main station) roughly every hour. Fare: 1,70 Euro. As an alternative Buses leave right in front of the passenger terminal. The Bus will take you first to Jakominiplatz and then further to Hauptbahnhof. Fare: €1,70. Of course you can also take a taxi (which is about €20 to the centre of the city) or rent a car.

Nearby Airports are in Maribor, Klagenfurt and a little further away in Ljubljana, Zagreb and Vienna.

By train

The main station (Hauptbahnhof) is on the western edge of the city center, at the end of the Annenstrasse. . Graz has hourly connections to Vienna. Connections to Salzburg, most other Austrian Cities and Munich about every 2 hours. Less frequent to Slovenia and Hungary. Tram line 3 and 6 (1 and 7 evenings and sundays) connect the main station with the old town.

By car

The A9, runs north-south through Graz, mostly via the 6 mile long Plabutsch tunnel. The A2, just south of the city, runs east-west. with caravans/trailers: EUR 9.95 | Motorhomes over 3.5 t: EUR 11.50. It is possible to avoid the tunnel by travelling on the rather longer route via [[Bruck an der Mur.

By bus

Graz does not have a dedicated bus terminal. Private and public operators all operate from separate terminals:
operates its terminal at (City Bus 40, 67), with many destinations throughout Styria but also further available.
(Trainbus) operates from a terminal next to the (Tram 3, 6, 14 as well as 1, 7 in the evening, City Buses 50, 52, 53, 58, 63, 85).
operates from the same terminal as the Bahnbus at . They offer reasonable cheap tickets to many destinations throughout Europe.
For travels to Austrian destinations check out http://busbahnbim.at , they will find you routes with public buses, trains, and trams to your desired destination. (Although outside of Styria it is limited to trains.)

Get around

Tram - Graz has an excellent tram service running through the Jakominiplatz where the different routes meet and you can change trams and buy tickets at the tobacco kiosk (Tabak). Make sure you punch your ticket inside the tram (If you get caught without a valid/punched ticket you will have to pay a fine of 40 Euros). You can buy hourly, daily, weekly or monthly tickets (also available at the driver). They are valid on all modes of public transport throughout Zone 101 (Graz plus immideate suroundings including the airport!)

City Bus - Graz also has an excellent city bus network taking in the parts of Graz not serviced by trams. Many buses go through Jakominiplatz, Hauptbahnhof and Geidorfplatz. The tickets are the same as for the tram. Be sure to get yourself a map (at Jakominiplatz) of the network if you plan to use it frequently. Also check out .

:Tram and Bus Ticket prices: Single ticket (available from the driver) € 1.70 (valid for one hour) Day ticket (available from the driver) € 3.70 (valid for 24 hours) Week ticket € 9.20 and Monthly ticket € 31.10 available from the Office of Transportation at the Hauptplatz.

:Keep in mind that bus and tram services operate from 5am to midnight during the week. Nightbuses operate only at weekends and before public holidays.

Bike - Graz has an excellent bikeroute network. Due to this and the relative small size of the city, using a bike to get around is one of the best choices. It also helps that it does not rain a lot in Graz... Bikes may be rented, although if you are staying a bit longer buying a used one (and maybe reselling it) from one of the many bike stores may be cheaper. Bike theft is a common problem in Graz, so take care that your bike is properly locked when you are not using it.

Taxi - Taxis are available 24h a day. You can hail one on the street, go to a taxi- rank or simply order one by phone. The taxi ranks with the best chances of getting a taxi day or night are "Hauptplatz" (Right side of City Hall) or "Hauptbahnhof" . There is a base rate of approx. €3 for all rides. Avoid taxis in the early morning and early evening when traffic congestion can make a taxi ride very expensive. Taxis can be booked by calling 878, 889, 222, 2801.

Car - If you can avoid it, just avoid it. Graz has areas with an inscrutable one-way system which makes it easy to get lost. Parking space in central areas are rare and subject to a fee from Monday to Friday (9.00am to 7.00pm, in some areas to 9pm) and on Saturday from 9am to 1pm. Tickets can be bought from ticket machines placed in every street. A ticket for half an hour costs €0,60. The maximum parking duration is three hours. There is a big parking garage in the city centre close to Kameliterplatz named Pfauengarten Parkgarage which is open 24h a day. A ticket for one hour costs €2, a 24h ticket costs €12.

See

The historic OLD TOWN. It has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage List|World Heritage site
The Schlossberg (Schloßberg), the castle perched upon a hill in the middle of the city around which Graz sprang up. The funicular (Schloßbergbahn) and elevator (Schloßberglift) will take the effort out of the walk to the top, although to use them would be to miss the wooded paths and some spectacular views.
Clock Tower (Uhrturm) on the top of the Schloßberg, the symbol of Graz.

Eggenberg Castle (Schloss Eggenberg). Early Baroque architecture, lavish state rooms. There is a small (€ 1.00) fee for entering the park surrounding the castle, which they likely will not charge you if you say you intend to take the castle tour. The castle tour is highly recommended though, as it contains dramatic wall and ceiling paintings, elaborate ceramic stoves, and inlaid wood floors. ( Tram 1 direction Eggenberg/UKH) Tel: 583264-0 (free entry to the museum with euro<26 card)

is Graz's newest exhibition place. It's worth a visit, even if you only look at its design from the outside. It's right across the river from Hauptplatz at the Suedtirolerplatz (Tram 1,3,6,7,14 direction Hauptbahnhof). (You will definitely notice the blue bubble) (free entry with euro<26 card)
Originally a temporary project during 2003, people liked it enough so it stayed. An artificial island in the river, with a stage for performances and a coffeehouse.

Museum of Styria (Steiermärkische Landesmuseum Joanneum), Raubergasse 10. Tel: 8017-9716 (free entry with euro<26 card)

in the Herrengasse Tel: 8017 9810 open March 19th - October 31th, 2005: Mo to Su 10:00-18:00, Th 10:00-20:00; November 1st, 2005 - März 18th, 2006 Thu to So 10:000 - 15:00; free entry with euro<26 card. Contains an amazing collection of arms and armor, from large two-handed swords and maces to the more modern pistols. Originally the local armory ready to equip the people in the event of an attack, the weapons you'll see here were made for use, not show. English tours are available; enquire early in the day to see what time one will be offered. If you are incredibly enthusiastic about weapons and ask nicely, your guide might treat you to further description of the use and care of the weapons after your tour is completed. Pictures are not allowed, but postcards with pictures of the main pieces can be bought in the gift shop. Be warned, this building gets extremely warm in the summer (especially on the upper floors). Weapons enthusiasts may wish to go early in the day, or you may find your interest waning rapidly as the puddles form around your feet.

See an Opera at the Opera House . .

On the Kaiser-Josef-Platz, right opposite the Opernhaus, is a fruit and vegetable open-air market where small farmers from the countryside around Graz bring their produce for sale (or rather their wives do). Morning only. The other main farmers market in Graz is located on the "Lendplatz". Morning only.
During the summer months, in the city centre between the Jakominiplatz and the Hauptplatz, along the Herrengasse, you may be fortunate enough to come across musicians of all sorts. Perhaps a small quartet playing Mozart. Perhaps a barrel-organ.
Football at the UPC-Arena, the home of Sturm Graz and Grazer AK in the district of Liebenau, south of the city centre. Ticket prices from 22 to 36.50 Euros : http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stadion_Graz-Liebenau

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